My day with Mr. Greg

I am on Spring Break this week. I know, how can that be? It's only the second week of March! Honestly, I think they did it because of the big snow storm that took us out of school for an entire week at this time last March. If that is the case, they got it wrong. (Thankfully, because I wouldn't be having this much fun if I was snowed in for the 4th week in a row!)

Anyways.... today was super exciting! For any blogger that follow Mr. Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard - be prepared to be jealous!

Yep! That is me and Mr. Greg himself! This isn't the first time we have met. In fact, I first met him WAY back during the summer of 2012 when we had dinner together! Here's a picture of that!

Reminiscing, that was such a fun night! I got to meet Greg for the first time, Erin Eberhart from Eberhart's Explorers, Laura from Kinder Kraziness and one of Laura's friends Elizabeth! Such a fun-filled night with a group of amazing kindergarten teachers! Then again a few years ago I got to meet Greg again at another dinner with more wonderful kindergarten teachers and we went and saw ICE! afterwards.

Digressing, today was amazing! I got to have lunch with Greg and his lovely co-workers. Than I was able to see Greg interact with his kiddos during recess and teach math!

Today's math lesson was on subtracting. While most of his kiddos had the concept down, Mr. Greg worked with one kiddo who struggled. It was amazing seeing him at work. He was very patient with the kiddo and asked lots of assessing and advancing questions to get him thinking. He really got the student to think about the problem and what it meant!

If you know Mr. Greg and have seen his blog, you know he loves bright cheerful colors and ANYTHING sparkly! His manipulatives did not disappoint! They were so colorful and shiny. Made me think of crystals! I think I will be on a hunt for something similar to use with my own kiddos.

I was definitely inspired to go back and work with my sweet babies on this topic once we return to school!

One of the activities that I plan on using with my kiddos is my Barnyard Subtraction Freebie! Click on the picture below to head to my TPT page to get this freebie!

It's an oldie, but the kids love it! What are you using to teach subtraction to your kiddos?

Back to Blogging

Hey ya'll! It's been such a long time. The past two years have been  CRAZY BUSY! One of the last blogs I wrote, I told you the big news. I got engaged to the love of my life! Well, this past October we got married!

 

We honeymooned in Charleston, South Carolina! It was a beautiful city and I hope to go back once we have kiddos! The town, especially the pier and aquarium, is very kid-friendly. If you have kiddos, I definitely recommend planning a family vacation to Charleston.

In addition to this wonderful time, I have also dealt with the loss of both my mom and nephew. Handling the estate has been a time consuming process. I still can't believe my mom, dad, and nephew have passed from this life into their Heavenly home. Prayers for my family are appreciated.

Lastly, I have been working towards my Masters in Education. I have just finished my last course and am currently working on finishing my portfolio! I graduate May 9th and will be taking my Praxis on May 16th. I will be studying a lot of this test in the upcoming weeks in order to ensure I pass this expensive test the first time around.

So enough about me! It's time to get to the kiddos! This year I have been blessed to work with 19 amazing kiddos. Their progress in math and reading is amazing! Currently we are on Spring Break. This month has been crazy with the amount of snow we have gotten and time we have had off. I am so ready to get back into the classroom and get back to teaching! 

Hopefully I'll be back to blogging full-time now that my life has settled down! I can't wait to share more resources and ideas with you as I begin this blogging journey again! Thank you for sticking around! 

Alphabet Letter Exchange

So I was reading blogs the other day when I saw that First Grade Found Me is doing an awesome Alphabet Letter Exchange. After reading about it, I am really excited to join the exchange! I've never done it before, so I hope it goes well.

I was reading one of my friend's blog and she was explaining how she not only used it as an exciting way to do introduce letters but also used it in math (graphing) and social studies (marking the places they received the letters from on a map). Go read Laura's blog of at Kinder Kraziness to see how she plans on using these letters.

I'm thinking that I'll either use them on a bulletin board or to decorate our Chick Chicka Boom Boom tree that I made for the fiance's 6 year old cousin's birthday party. Aloha!

It isn't HUGE by any means. But I'm thinking it's gonna go into the library. Whatcha think?

So go on over to First Grade Found Me's blog to learn more about this awesome blog exchange!

Donors Choose Opportunity!

Hey ya'll! I hope your having a fantastic summer! I haven't done much. I've gone to a few inservices, been fishing a lot, and been working on wedding planning stuff. Oh the joys (and stresses) that come with planning a wedding. However, I have gotten the date officially set. October 11th, 3014. And I have the venue booked.... which I'm in LOVE with! It is on the river that I said the first "yes" to so many years ago (we've been dating 5 years this September).  The only hinderance of the venue is that it only can hold 100 people and with family and a few friends I'm already over 100. So we'll see how that works out.

Anyways! So I have a VERY important reason for posting today.

I wanted to share an opportunity with you. It's a chance for you get to get 2 freebies from my TPT store by donating to my very first Donorschoose.org project! Everyone knows that with common core hands on math is VERY important. I have a good amount of counters, but lets be honest. You can always have more. So here's what I'm asking you to do: 


I'm asking for donations of $5 to help my kids. For the next week, any donation you make to my project will be doubled! If you know anyone who is passionate about education, please pass this along. Your donation will brighten my students' school year, and you'll get photos and thank yous from our class. To have your donation matched dollar for dollar, enter the match code INSPIRE on the payment screen. This awesome match offer lasts through July 13, 2013. (http://www.donorschoose.org/project/manipulatives-for-hands-on-math/1020920/?utm_source=dc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=proposal_approve)


Once you have donated please send me an e-mail at buggyinkindergarten@gmail.com with the amount that you donated and the two TPT items that you would like from my store and I will send them to you for FREE! Everyone loves free right?

Oh, and for every $5 you donate, you get 2 free products. So donate $10 dollars and get that matched using the code INSPIRE (making it $20) and you will get 4 free TPT items from my store.

I WILL be back tomorrow to share some awesome information from my inservice today! I look forward to seeing you then!

What I've been up to (REALLY B.I.G. news!!)

Okay... so I know it's been a very long time since I've posted last. (Hey what's new? That has been my thing this year I suppose.)

I got my paperwork for my professional license. So I should be receiving my new PROFESSIONAL teaching license soon! Yay! Super excited. Kinda nervous about only having 2 observations starting in the fall. I'll have to be on the ball at all times, because just one bad score and my overall average is gonna go down. (Not good!)

I'm gonna be HOPEFULLY *fingers crossed* starting my grad program soon. Hopefully in June. Looking forward to it, but kinda very nervous about the application process.

I've been working hard at losing weight. So far I've lost 37 lbs (since Jan. 22nd). I'm up to four miles each time I go walking. I need to get a gym membership so that I can work on muscles/toning. I've got 40 (maybe 50) to go still. The total number just depends on what I feel like/look like when I reach the 40. 

 Lastly... and this is the B.I.G. news! The boyfriend is now the FIANCE! Yes, you read that right! After almost 5 years of dating (it will be 5 years September 17th) he finally popped the question! It happened on Easter Sunday. He made breakfast, eggs and bacon, arranged it into a heart shape and then got down on one knee and asked. It was more romantic than it sounds.

So with that comes the territory of spending lots and lots of time wedding planning. I think we've settled on the center piece, the venue, the guest list (A, B, and C  --- the venue can only hold 100 people and we both have big families so we've had to move some of the people that we really really want to be there to list B and/or list C.), and the date. We're going to be waiting another year before getting married to make sure that we can afford everything. So our date is officially 10-11-14.

Okay.... well thats what I've been up to in the time since I've last posted. If you read all of this, thank you for being a loyal reader... even when I have not been a loyal blogger. I appreciate it!

Have a good week.... we're closing in on the end of the year. We've got 12 1/2 days left and I can't wait until the final bell rings (so to speak).

My 5 for 5.

So technically it is Saturday morning, but since I've only had three hours of sleep last night (1 hour when I thought it was bedtime and 2 hours around 3 this morning) it still feels like Friday to me. So I'm linking up with this awesome fun linky.

1. I don't think I have posted much on here about my recent decision to lose weight. But back in January I decided I was tired of being overweight and that I wanted to lose 80 lbs before the boyfriend and I get married in Fall 2014. No not engaged.... but it's getting closer. I'll let you know when that changes, I PROMISE! So I decided to do something. I wanted to do something that wouldn't just be temporary, but instead be a life change. And I really feel like what I've got going is working. As of this week, I have lost 22 lbs. I am still having trouble seeing the difference, but people at work are stopping and telling me how much of a difference they see. Most of which, didn't even know that I was in the process. So they are like "Wow. You are losing a lot of weight." To be completely honest, this is one of my biggest motivators. I still have 60 lbs to go, but I know that if I keep working at it... I can do it.

P.S. Sorry the picture is bad, I took it with my phone after a workout.

2. So are you wondering why I only got three hours of sleep last night? No, I'm not sick. Thank God. Sadly, it wasn't because I got to go out and enjoy myself. No... it was because Miss Molly decided to have puppies.

I went to bed at 11 last night thinking I was done for the night. An hour later I woke up to screeching and heavy breathing. I couldn't figure it out. I decided to go into the living room where we keep our babies and see what was wrong. That is when I found a black little puppy in Miss Molly's kennel. She was having puppies. 9 hours later, she and all 8 of her puppies are doing well. They are currently feeding and Miss Molly is resting.

3. Tomorrow is St. Patty's Day and to celebrate we had a fun St. Patrick's day party yesterday. Some of the kids brought in  St. Patrick's Day/Irish inspired treats. They had deviled eggs, soda bread, Irish Potato Candy, cookies, cupcakes, and green popcicles. I did try the Irish Potato Candy and they were AMAZING! If it wasn't for my diet, I would have definitely had more!

If you have never had these... or (if your like me) even heard of these before, click on the picture to go find a recipe via allrecipes.com

4. We're gearing up for Easter next week! I set up my centers using Easter Baskets! I stole the idea from Reagan. I fell in love immediately, and I can not wait until the kids see them on Monday! I've got a lot of fun things planned and em excited to use my Easter Centers from last year. If your needing any centers, here are two that I posted last year. (Click on the pictures to go to my TPT store).

5. Okay, so like I said in number 1... I'm losing weight. One of the things I'm loving about this is my walks. I've been doing 2 mile walks at a nearby park after school. On Thursday it rained. :( I didn't get to do my walk. So I came on home and did this 2 mile walk. It is a WONDERFUL exercise and I would definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to work out but not able to find a nearby park. It works just about every muscle possible!

Okay so that's it for this week! How was your week? Go on over to Doodle Bugs Teaching and link up!

Cookie Math

Okay so in math right now we are working on addition and subtraction. For the past two weeks we have been working on the numbers 0-5. This week I have decided to break it down into chunks and work strictly on the numbers 6 and 7.

Today I did one of the best math lessons I think I have done in a while. I started the lesson by telling my kiddos that I had baked 6 cookies yesterday and after baking them I couldn't figure out how to share them with Mr. Anthony (the boyfriend).

I then read The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins. On a side note, if you have never read this story you should go check it out.

After reading the story, I gave my students 6 cookie cutouts and a blank piece of paper. I told them that I needed their help in figuring out all the different ways in which I could share the cookies with Mr. Anthony. I told them that since I am on a diet that it didn't matter if he got more than me.

I split the students up into pairs of two and had them spread out around the room. They were able to sit anywhere (which if you ever let your kiddos sit anywhere they want, you know they LOVE this!).

The students worked really hard figuring out ways that we could share the cookies. These are some of the results that I just loved and knew that I had to share with the boyfriend (and thankfully I am able to share them with you too).

This one reads: (top) Mister Anthony can have these three cookies. (bottom) Ms. Cannon can have these three cookies. 

This one just shows the different way we could share the cookies. (The numbers are the order in which he did them, it has nothing to do with the number of cookies drawn.)

Afterwards, we came back together and discussed the different ways that I would be able to share the cookies and I recorded their answers for a anchor chart that could be posted in the classroom. And because they worked so nicely with one another they each got one cookie (oreos, because I didn't think ahead and make or buy chocolate chip cookies).

What are you doing in math with addition/subtraction.

St. Patricks Day Gold (and Freebie)

If your like me than this isn't your lucky week.... meaning you have to wake up bright and early and go to work in the morning instead of sleeping in and enjoying a week of Spring Break.

Unfortunately for us we still have a week or 2 before we can enjoy the magic of Spring Break. So why not enjoy the magic of the leprechauns this week? I have just the packet to help you do so.

I have posted my 92 page Lock O'Gold Literacy packet that includes 15 common core aligned literacy activities (most of which have SEVERAL different versions for you to use).

From whole group activities like brainstorming on what makes you lucky (writing sheets included) and Leprechaun tree map (chart pieces and 3 differentiated writing sheets included) to fun independent activity like the Graphing the Letter/Beginning Sound, Syllable Sort, and Scrambled Sentences (plus much more!) this packet has something for everyone!

One of my favorite parts of this packet is the Luck O'Gold CVC word game. I mean who doesn't love games? This game includes a sorting mat (real/not real words), 12 playing cards for each medial vowel, and gold coins to keep track of points!

So head on over to my TPT store (click here) and get this treasure so that your kids can have some Luck this week... even if it isn't Spring Break!

Oh and while you are over there check out my other St. Patrick's Day goodies (just click on each picture to be taken to that page) and grab my freebie "Graph The Rainbow."

Dot Plates

So I told you I didn't know when I would be back. It's not that I don't have the time... it is that I don't feel like I have anything to say. I would rather write a blog that is informative and interesting than a blog that is just a bunch of words with no meaning behind it. I hope you understand. :)

But I do have something interesting to tell you tonight!

On Monday 3 of our teachers (K-2) went to another school in our district and watched a few of the K-2 teachers there teach math. One of the higher ups in our school district has been raving about their math program so our principal decided to send some of our teachers over there to see what is going on.

The teachers that went loved what they saw!

Yesterday (Friday) was a early dismissal in our district. Which means "teacher jail" for the faculty. That is what another one of the teachers calls it. It makes me laugh... but sometimes (like yesterday) we get exciting information!

2 of the teachers that went to the other school on Monday (the 3rd one was sick. Poor Kindertrips. Get feeling better soon hun! Hope to see you on Monday!) led the inservice. I really enjoyed what they showed us.

One of the ideas they gave was really similar to something I do with my students. Quick Images. For those of you who do not know what that is, basically it is when you show your students a ten frame that has a certain amount of dots in it. But you only show them for like a second.  You can have them copy it onto their own ten frame or you can just discuss it. I love the discussion part of it. It lets you know how they think.

For example if you show a ten frame that looks like this

students may say that they saw 7. You HAVE TO ASK THEM HOW THEY KNOW! This is when the responses show you what they know and how they see and understand numbers. Some of the responses you get will include:
"I saw 3 on top. 4 on bottom."
"I saw 4 on one side and 3 on the other"
"I counted"
"4 and 3 is 7"

One of the ideas presented was very similar to this.  However, instead of using ten frames they used plates with dots. It was super cute! I knew right away that I had to make them this weekend. So today after going to the park and walking a mile (go me!) I stopped at the dollar tree and got 1 set of black plates and star stickers. I will have to go back tomorrow and get another set of black plates so that I can finish the set to 10... and you will only need the one set of stickers (I didn't know that at the time, so I got 2 sets to be safe).

In 20 minutes I had created a super fun set of Dot Plates!

I can't wait to use these in class and continue to learn/assess how my kinders think!

Valentine's Day Sale

It doesn't feel like it should already be February. But it is here. This month has been busy with fun activites and I'm so excited to start this next week. Our Valentine's Day party has been cut short due to some important people coming to our school on that day, but it doesn't mean we won't celebrate it. I've got crafts and lessons about love and friendship lined up for this week.

I decided to have some fun with Valentine's Day during math and literacy centers as well. We will be graphing conversational hearts, measuring hearts and recording how big they are, completing a fun color by number, and playing a fun Valentine's Roll the Dice game that I had one of my parents create for me.

In literacy centers we will be using my brand new Valentines Day Packet.

This packet includes 13 literacy activities that cover many of our Common Core Standards. They will be recording beginning sounds and ending sounds, identifying the number of syllables in words and rhyming words (or not rhyming words),  unscrambling popcorn words to identify those sight words that we have been learning, writing the room with vowels, and much more.

I have placed this packet on sale for the weekend. It is now $4.00, which is 50% off the original price. The sale ends on Monday morning. So go on over and grab this packet and let me know what you think!

A-Z of Me

It has been forever since I have had the time to be on blogger. Before this afternoon, I hadn't read a blog post in so long that I feel so lost. But while reading some today, I found a linky that I just had to join! Maybe it will be the first of many new blog posts... or maybe I will be absent again. I'm not sure. There is no telling. Maybe one day I will figure out what to talk about again. Maybe?

I'm linking up with The Polished Teacher. Head on over to her blog to link up!


So without further adieu, here is the A-Z of ME! (Reminds me of the book I read every year during our "All About Me" unit ABC I like Me!)

A: App
My favorite app right now is MyFitnessPal. I have been using it everyday for the past 2 weeks. Counting my calories has almost become an obsession... and I am truly loving keeping up with it, as well as putting my exercise in. I feel like it is helping me be accountable for what I put into my body and I'm feeling healthier. Hoping I can shed like 60-100 pounds before the day that I say "I do" (which we are thinking will be the Fall of 2014).

B: Book Character
As of right this second, my favorite book character from a kids book is Curious George. I love how he is always getting into trouble. He's hilarious!!

C: Clip Art
Because I am BROKE! My favorite clip art is MyCuteGraphics! She is very talented and offers her stuff for free! She has allowed me to create so many wonderful packets and I am so very thankful for her hard work and generosity!

D: Dollar Spot Find
This really just depends on what I am looking for and what they have. My latest favorite find though was these cute crayon erasers! I just loved them! But I've also found books, games, a stocking gift for the boyfriend (a laser gun keychain), pencils and soo many other awesome things!

E: Essential to Start the Day
A nice hot shower! This is one of the only things that can truly wake me up and make me not feel groggy.

F: Font
I have so many favorites. And honestly, my favorite just depends on what I am working on and the look that I am going for. KevinandAmanda fonts are awesome.

G: Game
My favorite game of all time is Aggrivation! This is a game that I grew up playing with my family. I love board games! One of my favorite things to do as an adult is get together with friends for dinner and a board game. Sadly I just found out that our friends that we do this with just got orders to move. If they do not get unapproved, they will be moving to Ft. Hood, Texas, which makes this girl VERY VERY sad!

H: Holiday
Christmas. Okay, this may sound selfish.... it may sound childish.... but I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting presents! However, I also LOVE buying presents for others! I love the family aspect of it. I love the decorations and the lights. I love picking out the tree and decorating it. I love the eggnog and other yummy food. I just love the entire holiday!

I: Ice Cream
Again, this just depends on what my mood is. Yesterday was my "cheat day," so we got an apple pie for desert. To go with it we got plain vanilla ice cream. However, other times I want double chocolate with chunks. I also like the strawberry with chunks. So, it really just depends on my mood.

J: Jewelry Piece
Several years ago for Christmas, the boyfriend got me this gorgeous ring with a blue stone. I wear it everyday and the few times I have taken it off I end up sick to my stomach with worry that something has happened to it. When we got robbed a few years ago, I had taken it off the night before to dye my hair. When I couldn't find it at the apartment, I was so upset. My cousin found it like two weeks later when she came to stay with me and I jumped up and down like a little girl and cried for joy!

K: Kid-ism
Not really sure what this means! Sorry!

L: Location to Travel
Honestly, I just want a vacation. Rather it is to Myrtle Beach to see the boyfriend's mom... or to some other destination. I don't care. Right now I just need to be out of TN. HOWEVER, the boyfriend and I have been talking about "honeymoon locations" and the places I keep thinking of are: Hawaii, Bahamas, New York, or Vegas. In fact, I really wish I had the money to go to the I Teach K conference in Vegas this year.

M: Management Tip
Be firm! Be fair! I try really hard in my classroom to be fair. I know that sometimes I am not... and most of that has to do with special circumstances... but all of my kids get the same warnings, same consequences, same rewards. Also, don't fight every battle. There are somethings, that you just gotta let go. You know?

N: Nail Polish
I am really bad at keeping my nails polished. Right now I am using this really cute aqua color I got from Target for Christmas. It is completely out of my normal range, but I kinda love it! Usually I'm a pink and red kinda girl. Although if I were to do my finger nails it would be red or french manicures.

O: Open House Idea
Our open house is very simple. We have the rooms open for the kids/parents to see. But we don't do much else. Something I do think I will do next year is to have the goody bag ready for them to take home that day. Just a little something to get them excited to come back.

P: Pinterest
I love pinterest! I love finding ideas and thinking how I could implement them into my own home or lesson plans. I will say that I often do not actually get to do them because of the lack of time, skill, or money. But finding the ideas of things that maybe I can one day do is amazing!

Q: Quote
"Where Am I? Who Am I? How did I come to be here? What is this thing caled the world? How did I come into the world? And if I am to compelled to take part in it, where is the director? I want to see him?" --Soren Kierkegaard

R: Read-Aloud
There are so many that it is hard to narrow it down. But these are the ones that come to mind first. The Mitten and Snowflake Bentley are two of my favorite winter read-alouds. Any of Pete the Cat stories are FUN for both me and the kids. This week I'm reading My Lucky Day which has been one of my favorite basal stories to read since I first started teaching.

S: School Supply
Without a doubt, my favorite school supply are Scentos Smelly Markers. I get giddy anytime I get a new one. Right now I am using the Valentine ones. Not only do they smell great but they are inexpensive! Which this teacher loves!

T: TPT/TN Item
I have several items that I love! But currently my favorite item I have in my store is my Valentine's Day Literacy Packet "Won't You Be My Valentine?"
It is jampacked with 13 literacy activities covering several CCSS standards. Click here to go check it out.

U: Unofficial Hobby
Crocheting. I don't do this often enough, but I love working with my hands to create something one of a kind. Currently I am working on a blanket for a parent who is due in March. I need to hurry up and get it done though so that I can give it to her.

V: Video Brain Break
I am not a big youtube person. However, there are lots of times when the boyfriend calls me into the office to share a funny video with me. I do love the autotuned videos however!

W: Ways to Spend the Day Off
Now that the boyfriends schedule has changed, I really love spending my days off with him. I don't care what we do, but I enjoy hanging out and being with him. Shopping for the house, checking out new fishing spots, sitting at home watching TV, or hanging with friends.

X: X-tra Special Blogs I <3
There are bloggers that have become special to me... bloggers that I am glad that I have met/know. But as to not hurt any feelings... I will not say names.

Y: Yummy Desert
I don't think I have a favorite. I like cheesecake, chocolate pie, apple pie, ice cream, milk shakes. However, I am trying to be good right now. So I will have to pass on most desert that comes my way for the next little bit.

Z: Zoo Animals
My favorite zoo animals would have to either be monkeys or elephants. Monkeys are funny. Elephants are beautiful creatures. They are really smart and I love that they are capable of painting. How cool is that?

Okay... so is me A-Z!

The knowledge behind a hug

This week we have been having awards ceremony (basically everyday because of weather) to award kids for their academic growth and to recognize those kids that have been our classroom heros because of great behavior.

Well on Thursday or Friday (I honestly can't remember which right now), happened to be 2nd grade awards. The kids in second grade are the kids that were in my first kindergarten class. While taking my current kinders to lunch I happened to run into two of my kinder moms from that year, both of which are probably 2 of my favorite moms from that year. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate and care about most of my kinder parents, but these two moms (among a few other) have just made an impression on me.

One of these moms has her daughter in kindergarten now and I think we were both devestated when she didn't end up in my class. However, I suppose it was a good choice, because she loves her teacher and her teacher adores her!

ANYWAYS.... I'm getting way off topic.

Basically, after seeing and talking to both of these moms, they both gave me a huge hug and told me that it is always good to run into me.

I have always tried to be that teacher that goes out of my way to build relationships and I only hope that I will continue to be able to do this. I have gone to birthday parties, tumbling meets, and church events. At all of these events, not only were the kids happy to see me but the parents seemed thrilled too!

I love making people smile. It's part of who I am. I love building relationships that extend beyond the classroom walls. Now, I'm not going to say that I have made any friends that are parents... although I'm not against it. But I want to be that teacher that the kids remember long after they are through with their academic career.

I know I have several of those teachers. Mrs. Sissom, my kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Giles, my third grade teacher. Mrs. Hale, my 6th grade reading teacher. Mrs. Walls, my junior English teacher. 

And it is probably because of those aforementioned teachers that my love for knowledge has continued to grow.

So to all of those readers that are one of those teachers that are building relationships with their students and class families, I want you to know that you are amazing and appreciated.

I'm truly glad that Mrs. Amy and Mrs. Cindi were there that day and both gave me a hug, because I think that for just a moment I started doubting myself and if I was making any difference in their lives at all.

Great Resource for Math

Hey! So I feel like I am doing better at posting more. :) (Even though technically it has already been 8 days.) But that is better than like 2 weeks right?? Right?

Anyways, each Thursday we have our kindergarten team meeting where we discuss random things, or work on aligning standards to our reading series, or meet about data. But today was exciting! Not because anything truly special happened, but because at the very end of the meeting, our academic coach shared a website with us that OMG, I think I love!

I have heard of the website before and gone once or twice but I have never really explored. But today got me hooked! It is the Read Tennessee website. And oh my, is it wonderful!

 If you click on "Math" and then go and click on the link that says "K-3 Math Common Core Standards" in the "Teachers" section you will be directed to a page that give you an overview.

On that second page (where you will find the 'Common Core Standards in Mathematics' overview) if you look at the blue column you can click on your grade. (Unfortunately if you teach anything higher than 3rd grade, this will not help you.)

Here is Kindergartens page.

There you can search by the different domains (i.e. counting and cardinality, geometry, etc) and specific standard.

Once you click on the standard that you want you will be taken to a page that gives you a summary, understanding (things that the students need to know and understand), specific questions to focus your instruction, and the skill progression.

You will also see a bar at the top.

 

This is where I think it really gets awesome!  Each one of these gives you lots of resources. And they are REALLY REALLY good! 

I highly recommend that you click on the photo below and head on over now and check out this website! And go ahead and share it with the people you work with! I am sure they will LOVE you for it!

While you are there, check out the "Read" section too. I haven't been over on that side, so I can't "recommend it." However, with the math section being as good as it is, I am sure that the "Read" section will be pretty awesome too.

38 Hours and counting

I officially have less than 38 hours of break left (I think it's 38 hours... sounds good, eh?) Today I worked from before 8 till after 4 on a Valentine's Day Literacy Packet. I had lots of fun working on it, but around 6 I realized that I was STARVING! I went the entire time without eating or drinking anything and I think I only went to the restroom like once. I'm wondering if this was me trying to get myself back in the habit of work...work... working! Who knows?

Tomorrow I am going to be devoting my time to getting report cards done and finishing lesson plans and laminating and cutting and prepping some things for my lessons. Sounds fun, right? Uh... I'm not too sure. But it's gotta get done!

This break has gone by WAY too fast. The first weekend seemed like it took forever and then after that it was like I was on a roller coaster that was going WAY TOO FAST! (For those of you who have already returned to work, you have my sympathy!)

So I wanted to share with you what I will be doing in Math this next week. We will begin our Geometry unit. This unit is to last for the next 7 weeks! This stresses me out! Because I honestly get bored after about 2 or 3 weeks of any given topic in math! Math is NOT my strong point. I can do small group and math centers without a problem! But whole group math, that is where my brain screams "HELP! HELP! HELP!"

But after doing some research on my favorite site (I think you already could have figured this one out) Pinterest, I came up with a week worth of lessons that I am super excited about!

We'll start the week (MONDAY) out by reading Square Cat. After reading the story we will discuss the attributes of a circle and a square. We will record these attributes on our "Attributes of a Shape" anchor chart. After discussing the attributes we will decide if we want to be a round or square cat. (We will discuss why "round" is a good word for "circle.") My hope is that we have time to create our own Round Cat/Square Cat. (This idea came from Chalk Talk: A Kindergarten Blog)

On Tuesday we will review the attributes of a circle and a square. I will then show the students a rectangle. All of my students should know what it is (let's hope!) We will discuss and record the attributes of a rectangle and then I will read the math book Two Short Two Long by Christianne C. Jones. After reading the story, TSW sort squares and rectangles.

On Wednesday, we will review the different attributes of the square, rectangle, and circle again. (By this time they should be VERY familiar with these attributes.) I will show the students a triangle. We will discuss and record the attributes of a triangle. I will read the story The Greedy Triangle. We will discuss the story. After reading the story, TSW will sort triangles and not triangles.

On Thursday, we will begin again by reviewing the attributes of these 4 basic shapes. I will read Shapes, Shapes Everywhere. We will make a web of places that we can find shapes in our real world surroundings. We will then go on a shape hunt (something I have done every year) and we will look for shapes around the school. Students will identify where shapes are and I will take pictures of these shapes. (I will use these pictures to make a Shapes In Our World power point that we will use to review shapes in our environment.) When we return to our classroom, TSW draw a picture of one object that they found that represents each of the 4 basic shapes we have been learning about.

On Friday, we will once again review each shapes and it's attributes. (They should REALLY know these attributes now!) I will read Shape Capers. After reading this math story, we will graph our favorite shapes. TSW create a picture using their favorite shape. TSW write about the attributes of their favorite shape. I will combine these shape pictures to create a class book "A World of Shapes." (This idea ALSO came from Chalk Talk: A Kindergarten Blog)

I am REALLY happy with this weeks math plans, but as you can see the majority of my ideas have come from Mrs. Larremore over at Chalk Talk: A Kindergarten Blog.  My fear.... is where do I go from here? What ideas do you have to teach shapes?

New Year... New Packet... New BOGO

As promised it is finally here! My two newest winter TPT packets.

The first one that I have for you is my Snow Day Fun Literacy Packet.

It is 94 pages of literacy activities for your students to enjoy! This packet covers everything from letter recognition, to sounds (beginning sounds, ending sounds, blending sounds), to medial vowels, to rhyming words and sequencing and syllables! Not only is this the perfect pack to use in order to cover a large variety of skills, but it is Common Core Aligned!

The second packet I have for you is my Winter Wonderland Math Packet!

This packet is 79 pages of fun winter activities covering everything from number recognition and number order to addition and subtraction! Need to practice comparing numbers? Great, this is the packet for you! Getting ready to learn about shapes? Great, this packet will help you do that too! No matter what you are looking for, if it is a kindergarten math standard.... chances are it has been covered in this packet!

So what are you waiting for? Click on the pictures above to head straight to my TPT page and grab these packets at a great price! What's that?? Oh yea, that's right! I'm placing these two babies on a BOGO deal until midnight tonight (Jan. 1, 2013)! Consider it my New Years Day present to you!

Its a New Year... a New Start

Okay so the packets will be done by tomorrow FOR SURE! The boyfriend has been sick with the flu, so I've been acting as maid and as his uncle called me yesterday his "mother." On top of having my hands full with him, yesterday was his--our family Christmas party. I love his family so much. And I love how much they accept me and like me for me and not just because I'm "Iggy's girlfriend." (Iggy is his nickname btw.) Case in point, yesterday I was doing my own thing at his uncle's house. I go to actually find him because it is present time and he is asleep at his NAN'S house. Not at the house we were at. But he had walked across the street and decided to fall asleep on the couch. No one could find him for about 10 minutes.

Anyways... as I was talking to his Nan the other day asking her what I should bring she told me a "veggie tray." Wanting to make it holiday-ish, I decided to head to our favorite site- pinterest of course! So here it is, my pinterest inspired Holiday/Christmas Veggie Tray! (It's a "snow-covered" Christmas tree!)

(sorry the picture is a tad blurry! I thought I took two pictures, but couldn't find the non-blurry one!)

Okay... so tonights the night! Out with the old and in with the new? Right? Bye-Bye 2012, Hello 2013? I'd love to say that 2012 was the BEST year of my life... but it wasn't. The good news, it wasn't a terrible year either.

Probably the best thing was the boyfriend finding a job. Not only did he find one to help pay the bills, but it's a very flexible job that allows him to work from home when he needs to!

Speaking of home, thats another GREAT thing that happened in 2012. No, we weren't lucky enough to buy a house but we did find a great house to rent. I love my home. And if one day I was lucky enough, I would definitely buy this house as a starter home.

So in with the new? What is going to make 2013 a great year? What am I going to do to ensure that it is everything I want it to be? Well here's my game plan!

As far as my personal life goes... I would really like to build up my credit. Before and during college my credit was awesome. But after college I was doing all that I could to just make ends meet, so those pesky loans got pushed to the waste side. Unfortunately that decision wasn't a good one and has now caused me once AMAZING credit to suffer significantly.

On with the blog... I would REALLY REALLY like to start blogging again readily. I've been a terrible blogger lately (I'm so sorry). I won't even begin to make promises on how often I'm going to post. I know it won't be everyday like it used to be. There is just not enough for me to say. And at one point I was wanting it to be every other day, but that also fell through. But I am going to try and get...be better. The key word: try!

So those are my two resolutions. However, for those that truly want to know... I will give you a list of not resolutions, but things that I would LIKE to happen in 2013- my hopes and dreams for 2013 I suppose.

1. I would like to get engaged/married.
2. I would like to become pregnant. I really want to start my own little family.
3. I would like to lose about 70 lbs (before either 1 or 2 happens).
4. I would still like to move closer to my family... so I would like to find a job in Wilson Co.
5. I would like to furnish the rest of my house! (so just finished the dining room and hallway - despite a few little decorations we would like to add. See pictures below!)

(new dining room table)

(Less than a week ago, this hallway was FULL of boxes. Now it is pretty, simple, and ALMOST complete! I have to either paint the mirror or change it out for a darker one!)


That's it. They aren't resolutions, because well 1 and 2 are almost completely out of my hands. #3 I have said time and time again and I still haven't actually done it. #4 I have tried to do two times now and it still hasn't worked out. and #5.... this is probably the most likely, but it takes money... which we are short on most of the time.

So what are your resolutions for 2013? Head on over to The Teacher's Cauldron to link up in this New Years Resolution Linky Party!

I'm dreaming of...

Hey! It's me again! You know that blogger that keeps saying she is going to get better at doing this... and then doesn't? Well yea, I'm back. But this time I'm not making any promises about posting again tomorrow... because let's just be honest I've been very sparatic this year with my posts. It doesn't mean I love you any less. It just means that I've been a very bad blogger. Oh well! Here's to hoping it gets better in the New Year? --I'm pretty sure that could be a New Year's Resolution! :)

Anyways, as I'm sitting in my PJS this morning/afternoon... whatever, I began thinking about my dreams from the last few nights. Now I don't remember the entirety of the dream, nor do I really remember the moral. So what then do I remember? I remember seeing my student's faces. I remember waking up and missing them. I feel like one of my dreams had me and another one of my co-workers and I suppose we hadn't been at work in forever (2 weeks feels like forever sometimes, eh?) and we ended up going into each other classrooms and being really confused. When we finally figured out that those faces (the students) that we were seeing did not look familiar and we ended up in our own classrooms we felt much better.

Does this make me strange? Am I the only one that has dreams about my students?

I remember the first year I taught, at the very end of the year after I had passed all of my students, I had a dream that I failed them all. It wasn't because they were bad or not ready to pass to the next grade, it was because I wanted to keep them with me. The next year, whenever I saw them I missed them like crazy! They were still my babies.

 In fact, during our Christmas party this year one of my very first kindergarteners came in to give me a hug. He's a big second grader now, but oh me! oh my! Does he (and in this particular case- his family) still have a place in my heart!

So I have one more week left on this wonderful Christmas break! I have already accomplished so much! We bought a brand new kitchen table (the one I've been wanting since October). You couldn't get the smile off of my face for hours and instead of working on the couch, I've been working at the table! I love it!

Speaking of working, I have two packets just about ready for you! I have already posted the first one, and I'm hoping to get the second one posted today! I'll TRY my best to be back tomorrow or Monday to share them with you. But one thing is for sure, whenever I actually do get back they will be on sale for the first 24 hours after the post!

Okay, well I'm out! It was good seeing you again! Hopefully it won't be so long until the next time! 

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

My thoughts.

Yesterday I saw a father come home and give his child a million kisses. When asked if he had missed him that day, he replied "I couldn't imagine had it been him." I am in shock of the things that happen in this nation everyday, but this was simply frightening. I couldn't imagine being a teacher in that school and watching the panic on my student's faces as we hid in horror of what might happen. I couldn't imagine being a parent that sent my child to that school that a grown man violated and killed 26 innocent children and adults. I couldn't imagine being the parent of any one of those 26 innocent victims and coming home to an empty room where they used to sleep and play. My heart is broken for those that are having to deal personally with this tragedy. What in the world could have been so bad for that grown man to kill so many people in a place where innocent children go everyday. I hope that those children who survived can find peace so that their learning is not stunted from this terrible act of violence. I hope that the teachers who survived can find perseverance in their hearts so that they will stay and teach and continue to make a difference in the lives of those children who were able to come home safely yesterday. May God be with you all and give you peace and hope for a better, safer tomorrow.

 

12 in 12 (a day late)

Okay, so I missed it! The day that won't happen again in my lifetime! I found this linky party yesterday celebrating 12.12.12 and I MEANT to join. But I fell asleep. I was so tired yesterday that I ended up sleeping from 8 yesterday evening until 6 this morning... and when I woke up I felt like I could continue sleeping without a problem! So without further ado, here it is 12 in 12! Thanks Kristen and Hadar for hosting this linky!

Here are my 12 favorite things...

12. Favorite movie you watched: 

The boyfriend is a movie buff, so we are watching movies ALL of the time. However, if I had to choose just ONE move as my favorite 2012 movie it would be 50/50. It was a funny, yet sad comedy and I loved it! 

11. Favorite TV series:

This summer I began watching The Big Bang Theory. I LOVE that show. Its super funny and here recently they have added some love stories... which I just adore! 

My other favorite TV series is The Walking Dead! It's got plenty of gore and suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat, yet a storyline that is captivating and leaves me crying half the time! 

10. Favorite restaurant:

Easy! Outback! I love it! The boyfriend and I went there this past Wednesday for the first time in quite a long time and after we ate I was probably the happiest I had been in a long long time! If you have never been to Outback then I HIGHLY recommend going and eating!

9. Favorite new thing you tried:

crocheting! I love creating something beautiful out of yarn! I need to learn more patterns so that I can make more than just blankets! 

8. Favorite gift you got:

My bamboo purse and leather wallet I got this year for my birthday! Its super cute. But more importantly it hold a bunch of stuff and is a pretty good size! And my leather wallet, the color is BEAUTIFUL! 

7. Favorite thing you pinned:

Okay, I don't have kids yet, but I have to say that a lot of my favorite pins are ideas that I have seen for when I do have kids. I mean just look at this beautiful seating! 

It serves multiple purposes by being seating and storage!

6. Favorite blog post:

Oh! I don't know. I'm gonna go with this one.

Why, well it was a FUN day and it inspired one of my favorite TPT packets!

5. Best accomplishment:
 Graduating college and getting a job as a teacher immediately after graduating! I still have several friends from college that have not been able to get a job, so not only is it my best accomplishment, but I have to admit I feel VERY lucky!

4. Favorite picture:

I love this picture because it was the first time I met my nephew, who is the love of my life! He has grown so much over the past year! I love him to pieces!

3. Favorite memory:
This summer meet up with Erin, Greg, Laura and her friend!

2. Goal for 2013:
To be happy and healthy. To get financially stable. And to finally get that ring on my finger!
 

1. One Little Word:
Faith.

(Faith in yourself. Faith in others. Faith in love.)

Hope your year has been as grand as mine has been!